Lament for a shining hope
by Nadia Blackrose
Summary: Aeris somehow knew that she would visit Forgotten City for the first and the last time in her life... Oneshot.


**Lament for a shining hope**

**This is my first Final Fantasy fanfic, which is entirely devoted to Aeris, my favourite character. I still remember the first time I had watched her dying, and was crying like a little baby even though I knew that her life would have a dramatic end, so I have also devoted some lyrics I had made when I had heard the music of her dying scene. This is my first attempt to put all my feelings about her, so no flames please. **

**Somehow, I got the feeling over the years that Aeris knew she would die...**

The vast green forest had open it's boundaries, obeying to the command of the magic Lunar Harp held into her arms,awakening it's spirit, allowing her to penetrate it's dark depths. A woodland sleeping for a very long time, as if it was waiting for someone to set the alarm, bringing it's slumbering beings back to motion, applying the rules of nature. Various creatures lurked inside, hidden under the thick foliage of the trees. At times, you might distinguish a crimson firefly, appearing out of the blue and then fading away, only to reappear somewhere else, in a less expected place.

She was running the fastest she could, her lungs were burning as if they were consumed by flames, due to the little air that had remained on them. She had to take a break, get some breath and rest for the countless miles she had run, walked and crossed. But she couldn't have that privilege of resting herself, for the pillory of time around her was getting tighter and tighter, threateningly and unexpectedly. Sephiroth might appear at any time, preventing her from fulfilling her most holy purpose, maybe the purpose she was born for :to save the planet from the destructible furiousness of Sephiroth, who would summon Meteor with the aim to endangering it's whole existence, and be reborn as a god through the Lifestream he would attain, by standing in the place of the impact. It was only she the one who could prevent this terrible possibility, as she was the last of the ancients, just like her ancestors had done many thousands of years ago, when the calamity of the skies had made her first step to that hospitable planet. And now, the son of this calamity would accomplish what his mother had left unfinished.

_"I have to stop him."_ she was thinking in fist and determination, ignoring the danger she incured. Perhaps, deep inside her, she was aware of the fact she couldn't mess with him, she knew that this night might be the last to walk to this blessed land of her ancestors, for the first and the last time.

''I'll come back when it's all over '', she had told Cloud in his dream, implying the eventuality of her death, and her reappearance as well when Sephiroth's issue would be arranged.

Forgotten city long ago used to have a name, long lost in pages of history to be said, though. Dressed in shades of grey and white, with shells spattered in ever corner of the abandoned buildings, this city would lead you to the conclusion that a marine civilization once lived here. Could it be the work of god, or a natural disaster the cause that brought it to it's current state? Or had it been the first target of an awakening Weapon, apprehending the danger that circular being, the planet itself was facing? The answers could be found in every building, under the form of blue circular crystals. Yet those answers were not for the humans to learn, since they didn't comprehend the ancient language.p

Aeris touched one of them, and the mighty glow that radiated almost blinded her. There, she learnt everything about her tribe, their civilization and their culture. But most importantly, she learnt where she had to go to activate the white materia, the Holy Magic, which was a memento from her dead biological mother...for somewhere in that world, she also had a second mother who cared about her, and was excepting her to come back from her adventure and bring some good news.

She remembered the day when she and Ifalna had escaped from Shinra laboratory, getting away from the tight, merciless grasp of malicious and disturbed doctor Hojo, who wanted to experiment on them. Aeris gasped in agitation at the recollection of her mother, dying at the stairs of the Sector 7 station of Midgar, the place where she had met her second mother, Elmira... _"Please...take Aeris somewhere safe..."_ was the last words of Ifalna,then she passed away, leaving her last breath under the agonizing sobs of her young child...

Elmira had embraced Aeris, and sworn to take care of her as if she was her own blood, lonely and patient as she was, while waiting for the imminent return of her gone husband...Aeris loved her like she did her true mother, owing her eternal gratitude for the love, the affection and the warmth she had been offered...

_"I love you mother...", _she sighed while thinking of Elmira. _"I'll always do."_

Having searched the rest of the buildings, her steps led her to the main path, from which the everlasting,liberating twilight was gushing...She didn't give up, proceeded forward and discovered the secrets lurking inside. A blue lake, bathed in the eternal moonlight was lingering, and a small building was floating tentatively upon her... She followed the narrow corridor which led to a spiral, strange building, which had a well hidden secret. She touched again one of the mysterious crystals, and truth was unfold before her very own eyes :_"You have to pray on the altar...The secret lies here..."_ was all she could make out of this wise, complicated language of the Cetra, that was flowing in her veins...

The key was lying beneath her feet, to end that madness of Sephiroth. All she had to do was to pray for the safety of the planet, activating the Holy Magic which would redempt the Planet from Meteor... However, among the words that the crystals had spoken, there was a bitter, unforgotten, unbearable truth...A sacrifice was required so that the power of the Holy would be unleashed...She had known it deep inside her, for a very long time had she felt that ever since Sephiroth came into the lives of her and her companions. His infectious influence was wearing mentally and physically her being at times, like that time they had visited Costa del Sol, after the unpleasant, destined encounter she had with Hojo...thanks to him, she was sensing Sephiroth even close to her, as if a secret, intangible bond existed between them...

She was going downstairs, with boldness and courage, regardless of the sacrifice she had to do, by offering herself as a tribute for the salvation of the world... How ironic it was, she wanted to save a world that was full of suspicion,cruelty,roughness, hatred, and self destruction. Nonetheless, she knew that many good things still existed, and worthed everything, like her companions, her mother, Marlene and...of course Cloud, the man who caused her so many different, contradictory feelings...

Through Cloud's face, she had found again the man who had loved so much, and lost him one tragic day...she had felt it through the sudden,bursting rain, the lament of the skies informing her of his loss, who was now returning to the planet where he had come from...She had got used to living without him, because she could feel him everywhere, in every drop of rain that was caressing gently her face, in every blowing of the sweet, cool breeze that was carrying away her long brown chocolate hair, and in every sunbeam that was touching her soul, her heart and her body. Moreover, her love for life was flowing like an impulsive torrent, washing over every feeling of sadness she might be carrying for her tormented life. She loved talking about the future, for she would find the Promised land she longed for...But at the same time, she was waiting for the day to come and take her to her beloved's land, where she would meet him again and they would be together until the end of the time... _"Maybe this is my Promised Land...to return at the hands of my long lost love..." _was her last thoughts before she began praying, and a smile filled her heart with comforting thoughts...

Then, she prayed, until Sephiroth shut her shining green eyes once and for all, and she died with an unforgettable, unchanged smile on her vivid rosy lips... Because only her body was the one that was gone, not her immortal spirit...

As the White Materia was falling from the pillows of the altar, a faint voice was heard singing, and soon more voices joined the lament...

She is gone

But she's here

I can feel it in the atmosphere

She is gone

But she'll come back

And everything will be again normal...

She is gone

But she will come back

She is gone but she'll defeat the dark

She is gone

But that's for all of us

Soon we will all be free

That is for all of us

...

**I hope you liked it, and please, leave if a review if you want, I would be so glad to receive your opinions and know how you felt by reading this fic.**


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